Friday words: Aphelion and Perihelion

[med_cat]

So sorry for having missed last Friday! To make up for it, here are two astronomy words for the price of one ;) (These two go together, anyhow!)

Aphelion

the point in the path of a celestial body (as a planet) that is farthest from the sun.

Etymology:

New Latin, from apo- + Greek hēlios sun

First Known Use: 1656

Perihelion

the point in the path of a celestial body (as a planet) that is nearest to the sun

Etymology:

New Latin, from peri- + Greek hēlios sun

First Known Use: 1666

Comments

[prettygoodword.livejournal.com]

Nice.

There's also equivalent words for orbiting other bodies: perigee/apogee for the Earth, perilune/apolune for our moon, periares/apoares for Mars, and so on.

---L.

[prettygoodword.livejournal.com]

Whoops -- left out that the generalized terms are periapsis/apoapsis.

[med_cat]

Ah yes, thanks ;) I have heard of perigee/apogee, but not the other terms.